We all must step up to help N.H. economy

Tuesday

Jul 28, 2009 at 2:00 AMAug 4, 2009 at 5:12 PM

By Doug Bates

By Doug Bates

Finally, the sun has made its first prolonged summer appearance. Those who took refuge inside will now flood (oops, bad choice of words) the region's outdoor venues and attractions. And those who stayed at home because of the dull and dreary days are hopefully more energized to visit the Seacoast and spend a little more of their hard earned money. I, for one, am ready to join with them and enjoy one of the best parts of living on the Seacoast: summer.

While the weather has turned bright and sunny, I can't feel the same about the current economic climate. While many are relieved the New Hampshire budget has been signed, I already see dark clouds gathering on the horizon. While I can't tell you if the current financial plan is a good thing or a bad thing (and I'm not sure that it matters) what really frightens me is the budget we'll be facing in just two years.

We can't address the challenges of the coming budget in the same way the current one was approached — by adding taxes, cutting jobs and passing other non-monetary legislation of varying consequence (which generated a lot of attention) but in the end, will impact most of us very little. While I do not hold our 424 legislators in contempt for not getting down to the real business at hand, I do see that if they don't in the next biennium, we may not live free or die quite as well as we have in the past.

It's no secret that the state, hindered by a deep recession, is facing a devastating revenue shortfall in the next biennium. Those who attended the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce's June breakfast forum with economists Steve Norton and Brian Gottlob already know the conservative bad news. Projections for the next two years show that stimulus funds will eventually run out, tax revenues will continue to lag and mandated fixed costs (particularly those related to pay and benefits) will continue to rapidly escalate, leaving us with an almost insurmountable gap to fill.

Steady growth and a healthy business climate have lulled us into complacency in dealing with our growing financial problems. But we can't keep doing things the same way and expect a different result; we have to start thinking now about the hard choices we'll be forced to make soon.

Many have acknowledged the problems, but no one — the legislators, the business community or the citizens of New Hampshire — have stepped up to adequately solve them. Now we have no choice. Money to fill that looming budget shortfall is not going to come from existing sources.

We are going to be forced to make systemic changes and some extremely tough choices. As a result, government may not look the same — and state resources we have come to depend on, may not be there in the near future. We, as citizens, must take more responsibility for those choices. Our collective future is too important to leave to a body made up of just three-hundredths of 1 percent of the population and then complain later, because later will be too late. It is not fair to them, or to us. We need to step up — and now.

I believe the state's business community is up to the task. (We) all need to be involved in making the meaningful and systemic changes that will help us maintain the New Hampshire advantage. What we need to do now is engage that talent to work with state government to straighten out the health care mess, put the retirement system back on its feet, settle the education funding issue and close the book on a myriad of other issues.

Will there be difficult choices? Absolutely! Will there be those who say it cannot be done? Sure! Do we have a choice? No! In a state of 1.3 million residents we ought to be nimble enough to make it work. If you're interested in being part of the effort, please let me know.

Everyone should take some time for a break to rest up for the hard work ahead — and pause for a moment to appreciate what it is that you love about our state and our community. Hopefully, those thoughts will help set your resolve to be involved in preserving all those things that make our home special.

Doug Bates is president of the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce.

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